The present invention generally relates to an automatic vertical axis clothes washer. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a detergent dispensing method and apparatus for an automatic vertical axis clothes washer that utilizes a tub ring with a louvered area through which wash additives are directly dispensed into the wash tub.
An automatic clothes washer is generally known to have a dispenser for dispensing wash additives such as detergent or additives, namely fabric softener or bleach. The dispenser provides the user with an efficient way to add wash additives to the washer. Dispensers are generally attached to a washer housing top, and accessible beneath an openable lid. A variety of well known dispensers are in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,039 discloses an automatic washer having a wash additive dispenser. More particularly, it is known to provide an automatic washer having a dispenser in which wash additives are flushed or siphoned by water into the washer thereby effectively cleaning the dispenser surface of any remaining residual detergent or additives. U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,627 discloses a high performance washer having a dispenser through which wash additives are flushed by water into the wash tub. On the other hand, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,554 and 4,265,100 disclose dispensers for granular and liquid wash additives in which granular wash additives are essentially flushed by water and liquid wash additives are siphoned by water into the wash tub. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,307 discloses a dispenser through which wash additives are dispensed via a conduit into the wash tub. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,141 discloses a dispenser through which liquid wash additives are directly sprayed into the wash basket.
In addition, louvered areas are generally known in the art to screen or partially cover an opening. As applied to washers, a louvered area has been provided to cover an outlet through which suds are disposed during a washer spin cycle.
An existing problem in the art has been providing a way to dispense wash additives directly into the wash tub thereby enhancing the effective cleaning treatment of clothes. In addition, some vertical axis washers operating in non-traditional manners present a further need to prevent wash fluid, namely wash fluid spray, from escaping from the wash tub and inevitably the washer during a spin cycle. Moreover, there continues to exist a need to reduce operational noise levels from escaping to the surrounding environment during washer operation. A particular example of this noise is the high frequency splash associated with a concentrated or reduced water level wash cycle. The escape of operational noise to the surrounding environment can create a nuisance to the user. Thus, the effective cleaning treatment of clothes may be enhanced by dispensing wash additives directly into the wash tub. Moreover, it is desirable to prevent wash fluid spray and operational noise levels from escaping from the washer to the surrounding environment.